


Pinky Promise

by gameboy_fanatic



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Foes, Friends to Lovers, Major character death - Freeform, Unrequited Love, bertholdt hoover x reader, plot? what plot, this is my first work..?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gameboy_fanatic/pseuds/gameboy_fanatic
Summary: A self indulgent one shotYou had feelings for Bertholdt Hoover. What feelings were they? Youll never know. One minute hes your best friend, the next hes a traitor as you realize your in love with him. Shame.
Relationships: Bertolt Hoover/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Pinky Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Lol there isnt as much romantic dynamic as i had hoped but its currently midnight and i wrote this in the span of an hour and 20 minutes. Its not edited. Enjoy my trash. Also disclaimer yalls may be like “Why doesnt bertl know about zodiacs and pinky promises” and to explain that I think that 100 years of isolation in the walls, the people of paradis developed their own subculture and small little things that Marley doesnt have.

How did it ever come to this?

You stood on a battered roof, paralyzed by disbelief as the Colossal Titan, no Bertholdt, smashed and burned the city below. Bashing your home to dust. 

Every memory, every possession, every overgrown garden and brittle house being smashed to dust.

And it was your best friend who was doing the smashing.

——- Rewind One Year ————

You and Bertholdt sat below a blossoming tree and you rambled on to him about the constellations. It was the middle of the night. You had snuck out, and he had followed. It was becoming a routine to meet here at this spot, the tree was easy to climb and you could stargaze and pretend that someday you would explore the vast world outside the walls.

“And theres Cancer! Thats my star sign.” (if your sign isnt cancer just change it lol) You looked over at Bertl with a wide smile. It was hard to tell if he cared about what you had to say, but he always snuck out to be here, so you assumed that he had to care at least a little.

His eyebrows furrowed with a thought, and you took a moment to notice not only how much taller he was than you, even while sitting down, but also how goddamn cute he was.

Wait. Not cute in the sense that you liked him, no sir. This was a one hundred percent platonic thought.

“Y/n?” You were shaken from your thoughts as Bertl gazed at you and, oh god he literally had stars in his eyes.

“Im so sorry I zoned out. Where were you?” You felt bad for mot listening, Bertl didn’t speak nearly as much as you so when he did talk you usually clung on to each and every word.

Bertholdt let out a breathy laugh, “What does it mean, that Cancer is your star sign?” His focus was on you with a concentrated, curious look.

“Oh! Well, every star sign has different traits, so to say. And Cancers are stereotypically emotional along with a lot of other stuff thats hard to define.” You waved your hand to the side absentmindedly, “I dont think someones star sign defines them, but I think its fun to imagine that fate is written in the stars”

Bertholdts eyebrows knitted together again as his face fell slightly. 

Had you said something wrong?

“Well what would you define me as?” He looked away, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

You were confused by his question. Where had this come from? “You mean like your star sign? Or how I see you?” He glanced back at you but didn’t respond right away.

“Y/n...” he was struggling to find the words,”what if i’m not who you think I am?” He looked back at you again sheepishly. 

You took a second to consider what he said. 

“Well, even if you aren’t who I think you are...” Now you found yourself at a loss of words as you let the thought of him decieving you sink in further. “Even if you aren’t who you appear, you will still be my best friend no matter who you are underneath whatever layers or facades that you have.”

He looked shocked, he obviously hadnt been expecting that. His face went red as he got (adorably) flustered.

“You never know-“

“I do know. I do know that you are my best friend. I know that you are stupidly tall like a damn tree and you turn into a human knot when you sleep and I know that even if you are a completely different person that those wont change. And neither will you being my best friend ever change.”

If Bertholdt was red before, then he was on the verge of exploding now. 

And as if that hadnt been enough, you  
stubbornly added “I promise that you will always be my best friend, no matter who you are or how the rest of the world sees you.”

Suddenly you found yourself without air as Bertholdt pulled you into a hug. But not a casual hug. The type of hug where you feel warm and safe and you never want them to let go. The type where someone buries their face into your shoulder and you can feel every one of their emotions flow through you.

“You forget that promises can be broken though.” Bertholdt quietly muttered into your shoulder, not wanting to let go yet.

You didn’t take a moment to consider it, “Fine. Then lets make a pinky promise.”

Bertholdts bone crushing hold on you loosens, “A... what?”

You grabbed his shoulders and pushed him  
back gently, trying not to go red at how close he still was to you. 

You grabbed his hand and gently put all his fingers into a fist except his pinky. You then took your opposite hand and mirrored what he was doing.

“Like this. Its a promise you cant break. Because its bound in the pinkies, like a chain.”

You slowly intertwined your pinkies and looked him in the eyes.

“I, y/n l/n promise that Bertholdt Hoover will always be my best friend, and that no matter who he turns out to be, that I will never go against him.” You held his gaze without blinking, focusing on the unidentified emotion on his face and the warmth of his hand.

He stays silent for a long moment and you become afraid that youve pushed too far. Your eyes softened as you looked away. “I dont expect you to make a promise.” 

Bertholdt used his other hand to turn your face back to him. “I, Berthold Hoover, promise that I will someday show y/n l/n my homeland, and that I will keep them safe.”

And you believed him

You smiled brightly, “Ill let you take me home,” you wiggled your eyebrows suggestively, breaking the tension, “Only if i can show you mine too.”

Bertholdt nodded, and maybe your trust in him blinded you to the guilt in his eyes.

——- Fast forward to like a month ago idk the passage of time ———-

Titans had made it inside Wall Rose. 

You had been separated from Bertholdt and the others because you went back to aid Mike. You had no weapons but you were never one to follow the rules, and in honesty, you couldn’t offer any aid you just wanted to see him destroy those titans.

But now, Mike was dead and you raced on your horse to wall rose. You had just passed through a village with a large blonde titan stranded on a building and you had saw flashes of light by the wall.

And behold, as you saw Wall Rose in the distance, you saw the Colossal Titan - at least the top half of it - perched on the wall.

You sent a prayer to whatever god existed that Bertholdt and the rest of your comrades were ok. Watching Mike get torn apart had been enough bullshit death for today.

Approaching the wall, you had no way to scale it, you still had no odm gear. You were forced to watch everyone else in combat from the ground and you felt guilty.

You heard smashing sounds on the other wall and you couldnt even start to fathom what was happening over there.

As the battle sludged on you heard a deafening roar as you opted to cover your horses ears. 

You watched in horror as the Colossal titan started to tilt, further and further like a falling domino, until it crashed on the ground on the other side of the wall. The ground shook and you were nearly flung off of your horse.

How much had you missed?

As you had been hauled up the wall you were filled in on most of the information, however you were filled to the brim with confusion as you couldnt see Reiner or Bertholdt. And trust me, you would have found them by now if they were there, they stuck out like a Beefy Nacho and a Tree in a crowd.

And that day, as Bertl left you alone. You realized maybe you had been in Love with him. And that maybe those feelings werent totally one hundred percent platonic

And maybe you were stupid enough to think that he had reciprocated them.

———— Present ————-

You stood there frozen, remembering how Erwin had made you stay back with Hange, who was injured that day. Because nobody thought you were fit to fight Bertholdt. 

And as you stood there among the wreckage you decided that you were definitely not fit to fight him.

You grit your teeth with tension and stress. You should hate him. Hes the reason your family is dead, and your home was bashed. He was the reason that you joined the stupid Suicide regiment instead of just selling produce like someone who actually values their life. He had taken everything from you.

Yet as you remembered those tender nights beneath the stars by the blossoming tree, you couldnt hate him. In fact you promised to not hate him for exactly this reason.

At least now you got a chance to show him  
where you lived. Except for the fact that he was grinding it to dust and ash. Though looking at the situation now you doubted that he had meant anything he had said that night.

You jump as a hand grabs your shoulder. You whip around and see Armin, with a determined urgent look on his face.

“The others are facing Reiner. Y/n i know how to take Bertholdt down but i need your and Erens help.” The worst part was that you couldnt refuse.

You couldnt show the others that you were having disloyal thoughts so you followed Armin to the top of the wall.

And for the first time in about a month, you stood face to face with him. 

And you became weak.

Turning to Armin you came up with a lie to get out of this plan - a lie that would lead to Armin getting burned alive - “Theres not much I can do with odm gear that you and Eren can’t. Let me go help them with Reiner.”

Armin saw truth in your words, even though you sure as hell did not. You just knew that you were not strong enough to fight Bertholdt. Especially when fighting to kill.

Turning to face the Colossal Titan before you jumped off the wall, you raised your arm, with your pinky finger sticking up.

Even if he didnt keep his promise, it was your way of keeping your word. It was a new promise.

————————-

You looked down at Bertholdts broken mangled body, armless and legless and burned with titan marks. He was gonna be eaten and you couldn’t even say goodbye.

And as you watched him get eaten by Armin as a titan, you said one last goodbye to the boy who sat with you under the blossoming tree.

The boy who you fell in love with a little too late.


End file.
